Suction actuated and controlled



July 24, 1951 I c. M. WINTER 2,561,962 SUCTION ACTUATED AND CONTROLLED IGNITION SWITCH FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed July 7, 1949 14 TTOR/Vlf' Y Patented July 24, 1951 OFFICE SUCTION ACTUATED AND CONTROLLED IGNITION SWITCH FOR INTERNAL- COIWBUSTION ENGINES Casper M. Winter, Jamaica, N. Y.

Application July 7 1949, Serial No. 103,418

' This invention relates to a suction actuated and controlled ignition switch for internal combustion engines.

It is well known that considerable damage is caused to the ignition systems of internal combustion engines when the ignitionswitch is inadvertently left closed over a long period of time 1 Claim. (Cl. 200-83) and the engine itself is not in operation. Arcing may take place between the ignition points causing them to burn out. Damage may also be caused to the condenser and coil. The storage battery may become completely discharged. These conditions and consequences frequently result when an automobile or other motor vehicle is left in a garage or parking space overnight with the ignition switch in closed position.

Efforts have heretofore been made to devise an automatically functioning ignition switch which would remain open as lon as the internal combustion engine continues in its inoperative state or condition, and which would automatically close when the engine is turned over to start it. This ignition switch is wholly separate and apart from the key operated ignition switch with which all motor vehicles are equipped. Both switches control the ignition system of the motor vehicle and the engine cannot operate unless both switches are closed. The automatic switch first above mentioned is actuated and controlled by the suction or partial vacuum which is set up or created in the intake manifold of the engine. When the engine is in operation, there is suflicient suction to hold the automatic switch in closed position. When the engine stalls or for other reasons is not in operation, there is no suction whatsoever in the intake manifold and the automatic switch automatically reverts to its normally open position.

This is the type of switch which has resulted from the efforts which have heretofore been made to avoid the ignition difliculties above described. This type of switch has been devised in many forms and it has been patented in many forms.

In some cases the switch is purely of the suction actuated variety. In other cases the suction switch combines the features of a suction actuated mechanism with an auxiliary electromagnetically controlled mechanism. In still other cases there is a combination of a suction mechanism and a pressure mechanism, wherein the suction mechanism operates on the intake manifold of the engine and the pressure. mechanism operates on the oil pressure system of th engine. y

In all of these cases, however, difficulties are encountered which render the switch inoperative or impractical. For example, in some cases the switch mechanism is so cumbersome and complicated that the suction developed by the engine while it is being started is insufficient to actuate and close the switch. Springs are frequently used in these switches to maintain them in normally open position but the suction developed by the engine in its initial starting phase is normally insufficient to overcome the spring action and close the switch. An electro-magnet is therefore employed to compensate for the lack of sufficient suction and it is the magnet rather than the suction that closes the switch in the starting phase of the engine. These switches encounter another serious difliculty as when the engine is suddenly accelerated in an effort to pass a motor vehicle, especially on a hill. The intake suction may, under such conditions, drop to the vanishing point and thereby automatically return the switch to its normally open position. This, of course, would instantaneously open the ignition circuit of the engine.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a suction actuated and controlled ignition switch of the character described which sufiers from none of the infirmities of the suction switches of the prior art and which closes automatically and instantaneously when the engine is turned over by the starting motor and which remains closed as long as the engine remains in operation, irrespective of its operating conditions.

The secret of the successful operation of the suction switch herein claimed lies in two factors, one functional and the other constructional. In the first place, the present switch makes use of the force of gravity alone to maintain theswitch in normally open position and it pits the force of gravity alone against the suction forces of the engine. There are no springs or other mechanical devices which the suction of the engine is required to overcome. In the second place, the contact element on which gravity exerts its pull is so light in weight that the smallest suction force which the engine develops at any time is sufficient to overcome the attraction of gravity thereon and to draw it up into closed position.

The use of gravity to bring the switch into open pull which the engine exerts.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a suction switch made in accordance with the first form of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view thereof looking in the direction of the arrows marked 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the first two figures of the drawing and tothe first form of this invention, it will be seen that the switch herein claimed comprises a housing II), a pair of electrical contacts I I and I2 mounted in said housing, a movable bridge l3 for bridging said contactsand a diaphragm M on which the movable bridge rests and which is responsive both to the suction -:.0f the engine and to the attraction of gravity thereon.

The housing Ill may comprise a circular, plastic member into which contacts I l and l 2 are moulded. These contacts may be connected by means of wires or cables l5 and [6 respectively to theignition system of the engine. The housing may be open at the bottom to receivebridge I3 and diaphragm 14. In thepreferred form of this invention there is a circular recess II formed in the bottom of said housing to receive said bridge and said diaphragm and both thebridge and the diaphragm are themselves disc-shaped to fit into said recess. More specifically, recess I! is stepped or reduced at its upper end to accommodate the disc-shaped bridge l3. This bridge is somewhat smaller than the diaphragm and the diaphragm is disposed in the larger, lower portion of-the recess. There is sufiicient space between the peripheral edge of the disc-shapedibridge and the wall of thereduced portionof the recess to enable said bridge to move;freely either upwardly or downwardly as the casemay be. Theperipheral edge of the diaphragm, on the other hand, rests tightly against the annularshoulder which is formed between the reduced and enlarged portions of the recess, being held there by means of a washer I8 and a nut Hi. It will be seen that the lower or enlargedportioncf the recess is tappedto receive the nut and it will alsobe seen that holes'20 are formedin thenut so that an appropriate wrench or key may be inserted therein to turnsaid nut.

The disc-shaped bridge I3 is simply a very thin, light metal disc, made for example, of copper or other suitable conducting material. If copper is found to be too soft, a copper alloy may be used. Aluminum has been found to be suitable. Diaphragm [4 may be made of thin leather which should be relatively soft and flexible. Kidskin has been foundto be highly satisfactory but other leathers may be used toequal advantage. Other materials such as'fiexible plastics and also certain kinds of textile fabrics may also be used. But whatever material isused in making the diaphragm, it may be found desirable to form holes 2| therein so that in the event backfiring takes place, the gases will find an avenue of escape and will thereby be prevented from injuring the switch. When such holes are provided in the. diaphragm, a washeror gasket 22 should be affixed to said diaphragm by means of a rivet 23 and a washer 24. Thelatter washer may be made of relatively stiff material but the former washer should be made of relatively yielding material, such as soft, pliable leather. Said soft leather washer occupies the space between the stiff washer and the, diaphragm and it normally provides a closure for holes 2! formed in said diais applied in its intake manifoldto attract the diaphragm and to draw it upwardly, thereby causing the bridge to move into engagement with the two contact members, and thereby by the same token, closing the switch. When the engine stalls or when for any other reason the engine is out of 'flperat-ion, there will be no suction in the intake manifold to attract or pull upon the diaphragm and gravity will thereupon once again take controlandpull the diaphragm and the bridge downwardly as far as they will go, thereby opening the switch.

Fig. 1 shows how the switch herein claimed may very conveniently be hooked into the suction system of the engine. Housing I0 is shown to have an upwardly extending boss 25 formed thereon with a centrally extending hole 26 formed therein. ,A fittingll, say of T-shape may-be-secured to boss .25 and one endof the fitting may beintroduced into a tube 28 which communicates with the intake manifoldand the otherend of the fitting may be introduced into a tube 29 which leadsto the windshield wipers. Actually both tubes 28 and 29 .may comprise the tube which normally is connected to the windshield wipers, so .that all that need bedone to connect the T-shaped fitting 21 theret is to out said tube into two parts and to insert the two ends of said fitting into said twoparts of the tube. If desired thefltting andthehousing of the switch maybe made integral with each other.

It.will be appreciated that the foregoing is descriptivesolely of preferred forms of this invention and it will be understood that these forms may be modified inmany ways within the broad scope and spirit and-coverage of the invention.

.1 claim:

A suctionswitch for internal combustion engines which are provided with an-intake manifold, saidswitch comprising a housing, a switch chamber within said housing, a vertically extending pipe connected to the top of said housing, centr.allythereof, and communicatingat its lower end with said switch chamber,a conduit connectingthe upper end of saidpipe with the intake manifold of the internal-combustion ensine, saidpipe and said conduit providingcommunication between the intake manifold andthe switch chambenof the switchhousing, whereby a-suctioniforce is generated in'the switch chamber when the internal combustion engine isin. operation, a .pair of electrical contact members mounted in said switch housing,'one on each side of the vertical pipe, the upper ends of said contact members projecting upwardly from said switch housing and the lower ends projecting downwardly into said switch chamber, afiexible diaphragm mounted in said switch chamber and beingsecuredgalong its entire peripheral edge to the wall of saidswitch chamber so as to provide an. air-tight connection and seal between said diaphragm and the wall of said switch chamber,

5 6 to the action of gravity thereon when the engine REFERENCES CITED is not in operation and there is no suctional force generated thereby, a thin plate of electrically The references are of lecord m the conductive material secured to the top of said (11- file Patentaphragm and being adapted to engage and elec- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS trically bridge the two contact members when Number Name Date the d aph agm fl x s upwardly, and ein 23,042 Upson Oct 5, 1948 adapted to disengage said contact members when 1620493 Schindler Mar. 3) 1927 th diaphragm flexes downwardly, at least one 2,112059 Arthur Mar. 22 1933 hole formed in said diaphragm for the escape of 10 backfire gases which may emanate from the intake manifold of the engine, and a gasket which is secured to the bottom of said diaphragm and which normally closes said gas escape hole.

CASPER M. WINTER. 

